Road construction.



i CHARLES J?. QUINLIN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it lmown that I, CHARLES P. QUINLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at there-ity andcounty of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road Construction; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, andeXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. v s.

llfhe object of this invention is to provide a road construction whereby a graded earth road may be rendered serviceable for travel in bad weather without requiring the surfacing of the, entire road bed with asphalt, macadam or the like.

Another object to consider is the provision of a comparatively cheap `road construction .for the purpose'above indicated, at least a part ofthe materials of which may be re# moved and used elsewhere "inroad construcn tion when 'the community in which the materials were originally used becomes more prosperous and it is decided to construct a better road.

Briefly stated, the invention consists in embedding in aigraded road bed series of square blocks of suitable length, the faces of the blocks being flush with-the road surface and forming parallel tracks for the wheels ofvehicles. Theseblocks are termed road rails. The object in using square blocks is that when the exposed face of a block becomes damaged or badly worn, the block may be taken up, the damaged portion repaired if there is one and the block replaced with another face exposed. While in good weather the entire road may be used, in bad weather the tracks or rails furnish a solid wheel surface and at the same time save the earth bed from wheel cuts.

Referring to the drawings Y Figure 1 shows the road in perspective and indicates the cross section al construction;

Fig.- 2 indicates one manner of positioning the blocks and connecting them with ties;

Fig. 3 illustrates a form of tie that may be used;

ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

`Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 15, 1918, Application led October 17, 1917. Serial No. 197,041.

Fig. 4 indicates the -construction at a' curve;

Fig. 5 shows one form of block in cross section;

Fig. 6 shows another form of block in cross section, and together with Fig. 5 indicates the manner of laying the blocks and one form of construction that may be used between the rails or tracks; and

Fig. 7 shows the manner of flushing the space between the abutting ends of the blocks, being taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

The rails or blocks 2 are formed pref erably of cement concrete, but may be of asphaltic concrete, mineral slag, burnt clay or any other suitable mixture, and are reinforced with woven wire 3 or the like. If desired the surfaces of the blocks may be roughened as by troweling. The blocks being square in cross section four wearing.

ranged that the joints are oifset or stagk gered as shown in Fig. 2. Ties 5 may be usedvto secure the blocks against lateral displacement, oppositely disposed fingers 6 on each end of each tie itting into recesses 7- in the ends of the blocks. When so laid the joints are flushed with asphalt or other suitable material 8, this flushing also aiding in anchoring the ends of the blocks.

For ordinary graded roads a satisfactory drainage for the middle of the road may be .obtained by ditching as shown, laying tile 9 with the sections slightly separated, laterals being provided at suitable points, and filling in with a gravel or sandy soil 10. Washing away of the crown of the road is thus avoided.

A desirable construction which would obviate the necessity of underground drainage is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a strip 12 of asphaltic or like pavement being la1d between the rails and ush therewith, thus shedding water to the outside of the rails.

.cave on each face in order to guard somewhat against skidding, but this must necessarily be very slight in order that the overhang would not'be appreciable and thereby weaken the edges ofthe blocks.

=One pair-of rails isshown but, obviously,

two pairs could be used to' care for trahie in opposite directions.

'llVhere some drainage is required but it is noty desired to use tile`9, the blocks may be molded with a passage 17 as shown in Figs.

5 and 6?. 'Inthis case the asphalt flushing 8 would fill only the top of the joint sol as not 'to clog the passage 1 7. This drainage featurecould be used to advantage in conf .nectiont with .the asphalt paving .st-rip 12or Moreover alone, or` as anLauXi-liary tothe vtile as shown 1. In this' form the tie recesses 7 would 4`be belowthe passage 17. Drainage laterals would be provided at suitable points.

.My invention'oers'many advantages for country roads and those in other communities wherer the cost of construction of roads fully'surfac'ed with asphalt or like material is prohibitive. .y Y

In theiir'stplace the initial cost is less,

with the added advantage that thev rails may lbe'fturned overto expose a new surface whenever' an lfold surface is damaged or badly worn.

the invention aids 'in maintaining the'er'own of the road against washing,`

(Yopies of this patient 'may` be obtained for in addition to maintaining the longitudinal and horizontal grade or survey lines of such roads. c

Because of this Ymaintenance of the crown of the roads they can be constructed at a cost not excceding what is now wasted in the continual process of ree-grading and re'- building the road crown. Even where the asphalt-faced blocks and the strip of asphalt pavement are used the expense Vwould stillv be within "that: of-` present road construction and maintenance.

What I claim is: Y Y Y 1. lRoad construction coi'npris'ingY parallel road rails all of the faces being of approxi-l mately the same width, whereby each face may be used as a wearingsurface in turn embedded in the road bed with the upper faces of the rails flush with thef road surface.

2. Road construction comprising parallel road railsembeddedy -inthe road 'bedy with the upper faces of the rails iush'with *theV road` surface, the railsb'eingssquare in cross section whereby each face may beI used asl a wearing surface in turn.y

3. Road constructionI comprising parallel seriesy o 'f road rails enjibedded` in the road, the rails' in each series beingarranged end to end, saidl rails being 'square-in cross section and of' uniform length, whereby the rails 'may bei used interchangeably'and any one of the four faces may be'exposed asA the wearing face.

4. Road construction comprising parallel series of road'- rails embedded in the road with their upper faces exposed, theroad beingl ditched between the'- rails, drainage means therein and the ditchedv portion be' ing iilled with porous material, the rails in each series being arranged en'd to end and having longitudinal drainage passages therethrough.

In testimony whereof I affix-'my signature.

CHARLES P. Quintin'.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner vof Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

